A New Opportunity
by E-Nizzy
Summary: Rory takes a new job in Washington D.C. when the campaign ends. She juggles new family dynamics as well as a new relationship with an old acquaintance.
1. Chapter 1

_November 2008_

Rory stared at the water gushing from the fountain, shivering as she buried her gloved hands deeper into her pockets. She has been sitting on this bench in the hotel lobby for an hour, trying to make sense of the offer she had just been given.

Two days ago, Barack Obama won the Presidential election and Rory Gilmore's first post-college job had come to an end. She had written her final piece at 4am from the W hotel in Chicago, where her grandmother Emily insisted she stay for her last week on the trail. She had crashed shortly after emailing her boss, Hugo, only to be woken up by a phone call at noon from Jon Favreau, the President's speechwriter. That in itself was a surprise, but his request was even more of one: the new First Lady wanted a word.

Her relationship with the First Lady began in a restroom of a Best Western somewhere in Texas early on in the campaign. The button on Mrs. Obama's skirt had popped off, and channeling her inner Paris Geller, Rory offered the safety pin her mother insisted she carry for this exact scenario in exchange for an interview.

"You've got moxie, girl," Mrs. Obama laughed but agreed. The article that followed a few days later almost shut down Hugo's website. The interview with Mr. Obama a month later, offered from the popularity of his wife's article, actually did.

Still, although Rory had managed to wrangle interviews from both Obamas several times over the course of the campaign, she never expected this sort of phone call. Nor had she expected the offer that came with it.

_"Press secretary?" Rory squeaked to First Lady, grateful that Emily Gilmore wasn't in the room. _

_"Rory, I've read your work. Every one on the campaign staff has appreciated your work and both of our communications directors had already pulled together a collection of your previous work before last night. And your resume speaks for itself. Valedictorian at one of the top high schools in the country, Editor of the Yale Daily News, intern for Mitchum Huntsburger…" Rory resisted the urge to groan, wondering if she would ever shake the specter of Mitchum bloody Huntsburger. _

_Michelle went on, "I want the kind of person who can sit on a panel with a bunch of pretentious college newspaper editors and put them in their place. I want the kind of person who's willing to corner the candidate's wife in a bathroom for an interview." _

_Rory smiled, "That's not exactly how I remember it." _

_Michelle chucked, "Regardless, I need someone smart and ambitious and brave. And I need someone who has to grace to handle a room full of journalists. If the reports from your time at the DAR are any indication, your can handle yourself just fine." _

_Rory cringed and wondered just how much Michelle knew about that time. As if sensing the Rory's hesitation Michelle jumped in, "I know enough. I know about the arrest, I also know that you managed to put yourself back together become editor of the paper and graduate at the top of your class from one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. And the advisors assure me it won't be a problem." _

_Rory sighed. "How…how long do I have to decide? It's just…this was not what I had planned, not what I was expecting… At the very least, I need to call my mother…" Michelle smiled; Rory had spoken of her mother every time they had met, and it was clear the two were extremely close. _

_"We need to know Monday. I know its soon, but…" _

_"No, I get it. These things work fast. Who should I call?"_

_"Here, just call me," Michelle said as she handed Rory a card. At the shocked expression on Rory's face, she laughed. "I'm pretty sure you're going to say yes." _

_Rory smiled then, "I will let you know as soon as I can. And thank you, Mrs. Obama."_

_"Rory, if we are going to work together, just call me Michelle." _

Rory knew she needed to call Lorelei. She knew her mother would be excited for her and would enthusiastically throw herself into asking, and then answering, a million questions and planning her move. But she hesitated for the same reason. As the elevator dinged, signaling her arrival on her floor, she knew there was really only one person she could call who could understand what she needed to sort out.

She settled onto the bed, checking the time on her phone: 4:30. Which meant 5:30 on the East Coast. She took a deep breath and hit '2' on speed dial.

"Geller."

"Paris, it's me. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Actually, yes. I just got home and the heat hasn't warmed the place up yet, so I'm still wearing my coat. You know I can't study in layers."

"Of course. Well, I need some advice."

"Is this Logan related advice, because if it is, I don't know why you need to call; you know what I am going to say."

"No, not Logan advice. Work advice. I got a job offer."

"Well, of course you did. I assume you have several. You are a great writer."

"Thanks Paris, but its not actually a writing job."

"Not a writing job?! Rory, the entire time that I have known you, all you have ever wanted is to become a writer. What kind of offer would make you consider something else?"

"Press Secretary to the First Lady."

…

"Paris? You still there"

Well, that is certainly that kind of offer."

"Yeah, I know."

"What does your Pro/Con list say? What does Lorelei say?"

"Haven't consulted either."

"I was you first call? Thanks Rory."

"Well, you are the most ambitious person I know. And one of my best friends. And you know me better than most every one else-?"

"Take it Rory."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, because this is a 'what if' kind of offer. As in, you will wonder 'what if' for the rest of your life, if you don't take this job. And its kind of time limited, you know? In four to eight years, you will have to move on. You can always go back to writing then."

"You are right."

"Of course I am. Call your mother."

"Next on my to-do list. Thanks Paris."

"You can thank me by picking up my phone calls when the President does something stupid."

"Will do Paris."

Rory hung up the phone, knowing Paris was right. This kind of job would change her entire life. And if she didn't take it, she would always wonder, 'what-if.'

She hit '1' on her speed dial this time around.

"Lorelei's House of Torture: Our pleasure in your pain."

"Hey Mom"

"Rory! You're alive! She's alive everybody! Seriously, are you really you're alive?"

"Yes, mom, I haven't slept much in the last few days, but I am alive."

"What's up hun? The article was great by the way. Emily is enjoying rubbing it in everyone's faces."

"Well, she's going to have something even better to rub in their faces now."

"Really? What kind of something? You haven't finally snagged that hot speechwriter, have you? Your grandmother thinks he's yummy."

"Uh, no. Actually it's a work type something..."

"Oh Rory, The Times? The Post? The Hartford Gazette?" She said the last one with only a tad bit of hope.

"Actually not that type of offer."

"Not that type of offer? Is it a Today show type of offer? Cause, honey, Matt Lauer seems like an ass."

"Press Secretary to the First Lady."

…

"Wow."

"Yes, wow."

"I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either. But Mom…"

"My daughter is going to spend the next four to eight years in the presence of those arms? I'm so jealous."

"It's a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity. And to be honest, I don't know what I will be offered, you know, with Mitchum and everything."

"Gahh! I can't wait to see the look on his smug, assy face."

"Assy, Mom, really? So you are ok with this?"

"Hell yeah, I'm more than ok with this! This is fantastic. And I bet you anything those grandmothers of yours are going to be competing over who gets buy you an apartment in D.C." Rory was glad her mother couldn't see the surprise on her face. Rory's recently reestablished relationship with Francine was something that her mother had seemed to completely ignore. But perhaps this was something that was finally getting better. Maybe she'd go for broke…

"Actually Francine still owns a townhouse in Georgetown from when Strobe was a Justice. She remodeled it in attempts to sell it, but then the market crashed and she decided to hold on. I stayed there the last time we stopped in D.C. and she kept dropping hints that if I took a position in Washington I could just live there." She took a beat. "I'd probably have to let Grandma and Grandpa buy me a new car to make up for it." If Lorelei, was ignoring the Francine issue, Emily Gilmore was attempting to glare it into submission.

"Well, yes, most likely. A really fancy new car" Lorelei didn't sound too upset. And Rory decided to steer the conversation back to the job while she still could.

"So you are really cool with this. This isn't a major daily. Its not part of the plan."

"No kid, its not. It's a million times better. This is going to change your life kid."

"Yeah, I know."

"So I know you probably have to move sooner rather than later, but do you know when you are going to make it home?"

"Probably in the next few days. I need to call Michelle-"

"You need to call _Michelle?_ We get to call her _Michelle?!"_

"And I need to find out when they need me. And I need to call the grandparents. And Dad. And Lane. And Francine."

"And Paris, she will never forgive you if you don't call her."

"Actually I already did."

"You called Paris before you called me?" Rory hoped that was mock-outrage.

"Her ambition would scare Napoleon. I just needed some perspective."

"I get it hon. Well I'll let you call _Michelle_ and everyone else. But let me know when you are getting home and I'll make sure Luke has burgers and coffee waiting."

"Thanks Mom."

Rory stared at her phone for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and punching in the number she had already memorized. After speaking to an assistant, Rory heard the phone being passed off.

"This is Michelle."

"Michelle, its Rory Gilmore. I'm in."

* * *

AN: This is my first story. There is a guy in all this, and one that you know, but I'll keep you guessing for now.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews: I decided to post the second chapter early because of them :) I will go ahead and give a little gift: Tristan is in this story, but this is not a Trory. I found a new place for him, I hope. There will be one more chapter, and then a time/location jump to D.C. Also, the boy in question will make his appearance in the first D.C. chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2:

It took Rory a few frantic days in Chicago before she could officially say goodbye to the campaign trail. She called her grandparents, sidestepping all inquiries into her future living arrangements, her Dad, Francine, Lane and Hugo. Hugo had assured her she could write for him until she found a new job and seemed disappointed he had already published her last article. Still, he was extremely proud of the work she had done and excited for her. She met with Anne, the First Lady's Communications Director as well as the few other campaign staff who were staying on with the President and his wife. She mailed some of her luggage home, knowing she didn't want to check a bag. She also managed to buy lots of the election night goodies that hit the streets the day after the election. Lorelei would proudly sport the "Yes We Did" shirt all over Stars Hollow.

By the time she plopped down into the first class seat her dad insisted she put on his credit card, it was Monday and she was looking forward to the downtime she had coming. Rory didn't need to officially be in D.C. until the first of the year and she planned on soaking up the crazy in Stars Hollow as well as Hartford through Thanksgiving.

"Rory!"

"Mom!" Rory raced towards her mother standing in baggage claim in Hartford.

They fell to the ground in a hug, ignoring the stares of their other passengers.

"I'm so glad you are here!"

"Me too! I'm looking forward to being home and drinking real coffee and eating at Luke's and even Friday night dinners."

"What about hanging out with your dear old Mom, huh?"

"Well, yes, that's a given."

"Hey Rory." A voice from behind her caused her to remember where she was, and quickly stand up.

"Hey April. Sorry you had to see that."

"Oh I get it, I do the same thing with my mom when I get to see her." April sounded a little sad and Rory knew that the subject was touchy one. April had been living with Luke and Lorelei since the beginning of the school year: Anna's mom having taken much more of her time and energy than she had expected. Still, April mostly seemed happy at Chilton these days, and she had been very excited to find out her step-sister was going to be home for a few weeks.

"Well girls, we should get home. Luke is waiting to feed you like you've never been fed before!" Lorelei exclaimed dramatically.

"Or like every other time I've come home?"

"Exactly. So how was your flight?"

"I'm going to become one of those obnoxious people who insists on flying first class. I also might be a tad tipsy. There was free champagne and I felt like celebrating."

"Well, get excited because I made sure there was champagne on ice (and vodka in the freezer, she added from behind her hand) so we could properly celebrate my daughter, the White House staffer. April and I have been binging on West Wing episodes since you called."

"Because that's exactly what it will be like." Rory said dryly.

"Of course. Oh and here." Lorelei said as they slid into the Jeep, April crammed into the back seat. Rory grabbed the mug of hot coffee that smelled like Luke's.

She smiled brightly, "Its good to be home."

* * *

It wasn't until they passed the sign for Stars Hollow that Rory remember just how much had changed. They weren't headed to the house she and Lorelei had shared for years. Lorelei was going to turn into the driveway of the old Twickham house, now the Gilmore-Danes home. After they were married in the spring and after the lengthy discussion surrounding April's residence, both Luke and Lorelei realized there really needed more space. Lorelei wanted Rory to have a room, even if she wasn't going to live there and Luke wanted April to have a space of her very own. The Twickham house was still up for grabs and after Luke suggested they let Lane and Zack rent Lorelei's home, everyone agreed that a move was in order. Still, Rory had been busy, and while she had seen pictures of her bedroom in the new house, she had yet to actually visit.

"We're home!" Lorelei exclaimed, a bit hesitantly.

Rory smiled, letting her know she was OK. "I can't want to see my room. And the whole house."

It was certainly large. There were six bedrooms. Luke and Lorelei's on the first floor, the rest on the second. April and Rory had already claimed two of them. And Gigi had claimed a third for when she was there. Shaking her head, not wanting to think about the drama surrounding her parents, she dropped her bag in the entry way as she walked through.

"Wow, you guys have done a lot of work. Well, Luke has done a lot of work."

"Hey I helped! Sort of. Mostly by staying out of the way. But it does look great, doesn't it?"

Rory could tell from the smile on her face that Lorelei was finally happy and she was genuinely happy for her. She was glad she could still visit the old place, and she knew that Lane and Zack were happily making the house their home. And, she stubbornly reminded herself, she was moving again. Most likely into a home owned by her until-recently absentee grandmother. Again, she shoved aside the family drama for another day.

"April, want to show me my room?" She could see her mother smile in gratitude.

"Sure." She said before turning to Lorelei, "What time do we need to go to Dad's?"

"We can go when you two get down. I'll call him now, let him know we are coming."

"Great! Well April, lead the way!"

* * *

It wasn't until hours later, after burgers and coffee and hugs from the entire town, that Rory and Lorelei got to catch up alone. Luke headed to bed and April to her room to call her own mom, Rory and Lorelei spread out in the living room with a bottle of wine.

They chatted about Babette's newest cat and Kirk's latest job and Ms. Patty's latest dance recital before Lorelei abruptly brought the family drama to the present.

"So, Tristan's going to bring Gigi over tomorrow. She's been dying to see you since she found out you were coming home and apparently we are all having dinner together with the Gilmore's on Friday." Lorelei rushed out, not making eye contact with her daughter.

Rory turned to look at her mother wondering just what to say.

The reemergence of Tristan DuGrey in her life was as sudden as it was surprising. Christopher had been looking for a new partner for his tech company and Tristan, having just graduated from Duke with a degree in computer science, was looking for just that type of opportunity. After a few drinks and an apparently awkward conversation about Tristan calling Rory 'Mary' in high school and their mutual love of the Gilmore girls, they had agreed to become partners. And apparently the brother neither one of them had. The business had taken off, but what was most surprising to Rory was the profound effect that Tristan's presence had on her relationship with her Dad, her younger sister, and her grandmother. Christopher and Tristan had formalized their partnership two weeks after Rory left for the campaign trail. At the time Chris called to tell her the news, knowing that a partnership with her former high school tormentor was probably news he should share himself, Rory was feeling particularly lonely and about to click send on a slightly drunken email to Logan. Her dad rescued her from the inevitable mistake and the pair ended up talk for hours. Because Rory was slightly inebriated, when Francine came up in conversation Rory let Chris have it. She had repressed years of anger and the bottle of wine she had just consumed spilled out over the treatment she had received from the Hayden's.

"Do you know how good it would have felt to throw Strobe and Francine in Mitchum and Shira's smug faces?!" Rory had exclaimed. "I spent all of college surrounded by rich, snobby _snobs_ and yes, I was Richard and Emily's granddaughter, but I was also still _The_ _Scandal. _And Shira treated me like scum to scrape of the bottom of her shoe and there were a couple of times I just wanted to look them in their stupid faces and remind them I was a Hayden. Yes, _one of those Hayden's._ But I couldn't. And with everything with Mitchum and my writing and not getting a job, which I know is somehow his fault; I wish I could change my name sometimes. I thought about writing as Lorelei Hayden, or Ella Hayden or something but I didn't think Francine would approve and it all just sucks sometimes."

Christopher had managed reign in Rory's anger and after she fell asleep on him he began to think about what his daughter needed from him. His first call was to his now ex-wife. The words _The Scandal _struck him deeply and he realized that whatever he was about to do he needed to do with Lorelei's blessing. Finally, Chris suggested that they meet face-to-face and work out some of their issues. He would bring Tristan and she could bring Sookie, both to mediate, and the two of them would work towards putting everything behind them. The conversation took hours and lots of yelling and yielded more than a few surprising results.

The first was that Tristan managed to surprise Lorelei. He had grown up, first through military school and then college. He reminded Lorelei that at sixteen she made more than a few mistakes as well, but they had turned out for the best. He also seemed to be a good balance for Christopher and Lorelei finally realized that while she had Rory and Sookie and Stars Hollow, Christopher mostly had her rejection and his father's disapproval. Tristan had Rory's rejection and his own father's disapproval; somehow, the pair finding each other seemed to be a good thing.

Secondly, Gigi and Lorelei would get to spend time together. This would take hours to explain to Luke later, but Lorelei didn't want to be another Sherry in Gigi's life and she wanted Gigi to know that she cared. Tristan volunteered to be the go between, having quickly cemented his place as 'Uncle Tristan.' This would eventually lead to a friendship between Tristan and Lorelei, built on the love of a six year old and the disdain for Hartford society.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly to Rory, the conversation between her parents had led to a new relationship with her grandmother. Christopher told Lorelei that he was going to approach his mother about Rory. 'It is time,' he said. He figured he knew what needed to be said, and things between the mother and son had been much better since Strobe's death. He didn't want Rory to feel like _The Scandal_ and he didn't want his mother to miss out on a relationship with Rory just because all of the adults in this situation were acting like children. Lorelei, after much hemming and hawing agreed that if Francine and Rory wanted to have a relationship, she wouldn't stand in the way (Maybe because she knew that Emily Gilmore would.)

All of this led to an extremely eventful and _loud_ Thanksgiving. It seemed that Francine's last straw was discovering how Shira Huntsburger deigned to treat Christopher's daughter; she was willing to put aside her anger and pride and proposed that she and Rory begin a new relationship. Although Rory had been skeptical and more than a little hesitant, a new relationship with her eldest granddaughter had Francine shaking off the last of her grief over Strobe's death and finding a new lease on life. Rory found Francine, unlike Emily, in complete support of her future endeavors and less interested in her social life. By spring, there were weekly emails and Rory enjoyed Francine's witty repartee and political commentary.

But what changed everything for Rory was the meeting Rory and Francine had the weekend of Luke and Lorelei's wedding. Rory stole away for breakfast with her grandmother, much to the chagrin of the Gilmore's. Francine managed to meet Rory in the space between Emily and Lorelei that Rory was so desperately trying to fill on her own. It was the place she began to find at Yale. On the one hand, she was the ambitious, daring Gilmore Girl of Stars Hollow, the daughter of the heroine of Hartford society. Lorelei Gilmore was the bogeyman Logan and Colin and Stephanie had grown up on, before she became the person they would all idolize. Still, Rory was no less Richard and Emily's granddaughter: debutante, Chilton and Yale grad and LDB, even if adjacently. She had been ignoring the money left to her by Lorelei the first, she couldn't touch it for a few more years anyway; and she didn't like to consider anytime when Richard or Emily or Lorelei weren't walking the earth, so she never considered the Gilmore fortune or her future inheritance of it. And while she knew Christopher was now loaded and she had no doubt there was another trust waiting for her, she never forgot the incident at Andrew's when she was in high school and so she was never quick to consider any of that money hers. But as Francine pointed out, very soon Rory would have money. Lorelei the first was a generous woman, particularly towards her namesakes, and despite all claims up until now, Rory was in fact _one of those Haydens._

"You can't apologize for having money, Rory." Francine said as she sipped her coffee.

"Despite how it feels to you, it just comes off as conceited. Still, you don't have to act like me or Emily or Shira. You don't have to be the kind of girl Logan ends up marrying, desperate to make a name for herself. What infuriated Shira was that you didn't need to marry her son. You already have the Gilmore name. From here on out, you are my granddaughter: you have the Hayden name too, if you want it. Embrace the freedom of it all. You don't have to play their game. If you think Mitchum has compromised Rory Gilmore, then by all means, become Lorelei Hayden. Take what is offered, but don't do anything you wouldn't already do. You can still work your ass off and be an heiress. You don't want to admit it, but you are a millionaire. A _multi-_millionaire. But you can still live your passion. And strut it like those boys do. You are every bit as wealthy, if not more so, than Logan Huntsburger or Colin McCrea or even Tristan. They don't apologize for their wealth, why should you?"

Rory didn't admit it to anyone then, but that conversation changed her. It also forged her relationship with Francine. It was clear then, that Francine didn't think she needed directing: not towards a particular job and certainly not towards a guy. 'Embrace the freedom' had become Rory Gilmore's mantra.

Rory turned her attention back to her mother, knowing she wanted Rory to say something.

"Who is everyone? And is this going to be ok? I don't want a fight…"

"Well my parents, and you and me and April, Luke has to work, and your Dad and Gigi and Tristan. And Francine." Rory almost spit out the sip of wine she had just taken.

"All of those people are going to be in the same room? Is that safe?"

"I think so. Tristan's really good at the whole mediating from the outside thing. And apparently Richard and Emily and Francine have all had dinner since the wedding. Tristan made everyone realize they needed to work this out, for your sake." Rory wondered what rabbit hole she had fallen into that made Tristan DuGrey the voice of reason in her family. Or that made Tristan DuGrey family at all.

"I can't wait to see Gigi," Rory answered truthfully. Rory the only child was now embracing the fact she had two sisters. One was going to look to her for guidance on Chilton boys and college selection and one currently thought she was the greatest thing since Madonna. Not that she yet knew who Madonna was.

"It will be ok, hun. We are all doing better. And everyone will be happy to see you and everyone is excited about the new job. I think Emily might be willing to concede the housing issue, but you better gear up for a luxury SUV."

Rory laughed, hoping that her mother was right. "Well ok then. I should go to bed," she said as she swallowed the last of her wine. "I know everyone will leave early in the morning, meet you for lunch at the inn?"

Lorelei grinned, "Sookie can't wait to see you. Make sure to wear your eatin' pants."

Rory chuckled, "Will do. Night Mom."

"Night Ror."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks really, for all the feedback. As I said before, this is the last chapter before we get to D.C. The fourth chapter, where we run into the guy was actually the first one I wrote, and then built the story around it. That being said, its almost ready to go, so enjoy this little bit and perhaps the next chapter will be up soon ;) I'm really interested to see how you feel about the guy, so its as much for me as for you.

* * *

Chapter 3:

The next morning, Rory dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. It took her several minutes to figure out where her shower supplies were stored and another few to fiddle with the faucet. Her entire morning seemed to be an archeological dig around the house. By the time she had managed to locate not only her car keys but also her car, she was running late.

"Hey Michelle," Rory exclaimed as she waltzed into the Dragonfly.

"Oh, it's you." He sniffed in a bored tone that Rory had come to miss on the road.

"It's me. Is mom in the kitchen?" She asked even as she was walking towards the dining room. She headed through the doors to Sookie's sanctuary, as she noted the pair of celebrities attempting to hide in the corner.

"Mom? Sookie! I'm so glad to see you"

"Rory's here!" Sookie exclaimed as she shoved a spoon in Rory's face, "Here try this. Hunh? What do you think? Needs more thyme, right? Thought so." Rory couldn't help but smile at Sookie's antics as her mother walked in from the back.

"Rory, your up! I was starting to get worried!" Lorelei exclaimed as she guided Rory out of the kitchen, calling for Sookie to send out whatever to them.

"Yes, well I couldn't find my keys. Then I couldn't find my car. I'm here now. What's for lunch?"

"Something delicious I am sure. And Gigi should be here any moment…will it be cool if Tristan stays for lunch?"

"Sure, for as much as I hear about him, I've only seen him briefly at Thanksgiving, and then again at Christmas. We've exchanged emails, but I'm hoping to figure out exactly what it is he has on all of you that makes you want to hang out with him," Rory answered only half-joking. Tristan had managed to become the only other person that Christopher, Lorelei and all three of her grandparents could all agree they liked. She could admit he had grown up, shedding the cockiness that punctuated much of their time in high school. He could still be cocky at times, and she imagined he was charming the pants off the under-30 set in Hartford, but he wasn't the pain in the ass he had so often been at Chilton.

They had cleared the air at Christmas, They sat in her Grandpa's study while the adults yelled at each other; Tristan apologized for the way he treated Rory at Chilton. ("I really liked you, but I had no idea what to do about it. I was an ass.") Rory admitted that she had been attracted to him back then, but he represented a whole lot of things she wasn't ready for. She was impressed with the way he managed to subdue Emily and Francine with a few well-placed compliments and gestures. And he seemed to understand both Lorelei and Chris in the way only people who had grown up in Hartford society, and then left, seemed to be able to. Still, he had found this place in her family, ("My family is completely dysfunctional, but they also hate each other. Your family is dysfunctional but they actually care. I'm not going to feel guilty about trying to find some of that for myself, Mare.") and Rory wasn't sure what to do with him much of the time. Even more so, Logan had reminded her of Tristan when they first met, and now, though not in the same way at all, Tristan reminded her of Logan, a door she was very much planning on keeping shut.

She was still musing on Tristan's place in her family, when a blond girl in pigtails came rushing through the dining room. "RORY!" Gigi yelled as Tristan shuffled in behind her, chuckling at the girl's boundless energy. Rory laughed as Gigi squirmed into her lap. Tristan bent down to kiss Lorelei's cheek before dropping a kiss onto Gigi's head, and another onto Rory's.

"Hey Mare-someone spent the entire drive from Hartford telling me all about your new job at the White House. By the way, I dropped April off at Luke's on the way here. She had reached her six-year old tolerance level, I think." Tristan said to Lorelei and Rory realized for the first time that both her sister's were attending Chilton. And that given Tristan's friendship with Lorelei, he must also have one with Luke and April, too.

"How does April seem to be liking Chilton?" She asked to both Lorelei and Tristan.

"She loves the work, it's a great challenge for her. And she knows it will get her where she wants to go. I think, like you, she's having a harder time fitting in." "Lorelei answered.

"I think it's gotten a little better since I started picking her up on Fridays," Tristan responded to a surprised Rory.

"You pick her up? How did that happen?"

"Oh well, the first time was happenstance, I was picking up Gigi and bringing her down for the weekend and Lore figured while I was at Chilton I could get April too. I could tell that some of the other girls were a little impressed this older, mysterious guy was picking her up, seemingly randomly. It became a thing. Now I do it on Fridays and we go get ice cream before she comes to the office to do homework. Then we all go over to the Gilmore's for dinner. I don't think she's making BFF's or anything, but she's keeping them guessing." Tristan shrugged.

"Way to fill in on my sisterly duties," Rory chuckled, "And did you just say BFF? How old is the girl you are dating these days Tristan?

"Twenty-eight actually, and I picked that up from this one," He pointed his finger at Gigi as she giggled.

Lunch passed uneventfully and Rory began to see just how Tristan had wormed his way into her family. Gigi was certainly in love and Lorelei had found a willing bantering partner. He could talk business and society with the best of them, but he was also a movie buff and could apparently eat as much as a Gilmore Girl. He seemed to fit in, but more than that, he seemed to have found a way to put some pieces back together. While Rory felt a twinge of jealousy that Tristan was getting to pal around with not only her parents but her sisters as well, she was mostly glad that since she wasn't going to be around, he seemed intent on being there.

* * *

By the time Friday rolled around, Rory was not only looking forward to dinner, but was also hopeful the night would go off without a hitch.

"Ring the doorbell Rory." Lorelei said as they stood in front of the door.

"You are closer."

"Yes, but you don't get to do it often. It's a special occasion."

"That's ridiculous, you just don't want to go in." Just then, they heard a car door and watched as Chris, Tristan, April and Gigi filed out of Tristan's SUV.

"Are you just standing there?" Tristan asked.

"We can't decide who gets to ring the bell."

Tristan rolled his eyes at Lorelei, "Gigi why don't ring the door bell?"

"Hey Ror!" Chris said as he pulled her into a hug. Rory could admit that she missed her dad more these days. He had tried to be consistent in his emailing and phone calls while she was gone and it seemed that perhaps Chris and Lorelei's divorce had finally put to rest the idea that he needed to be in a relationship with Lorelei to be in one with Rory.

"Hey Dad! You ready for this?"

"Sure, I mean who doesn't love fireworks?" Chris winked at her

April rolled her eyes. "I think that's why we should all be glad Gigi is here. No one is willing to start yelling when a six year old can behave."

"Rory you're here!" Emily exclaimed from the doorway. "Come in, come in. Oh I'm so glad to see you," she said as she pulled Rory in for a hug.

"I missed you to Grandma."

"Well Richard and Francine are in the living room, can I get everyone a drink? Rory?"

"Oh, Manhattan please."

"And Tristan and Chris, Gin and Tonic's correct?"

"That's right, Emily" Tristan answered as he scooped up Gigi from the ground carrying her into the living room.

"Martini, Mom," Lorelei called not wanting to be left out.

Richard and Francine greeted Rory jovially and everyone settled in to hear about Rory's week thus far. By the time the crowd made it's way to the dining room, Rory was hopeful they could have a peaceful dinner.

"So Rory, when exactly do you need to move? Do you have time to find a place to live? Richard and I could certainly help you find something in a reasonable neighborhood," Emily began and Rory noticed all the other adults at the table shifting into 'major discussion' stance.

"Well Grandma, I actually have an offer for a place to live already."

"With a friend from Yale, or Chilton perhaps?" Emily had seen the shifting.

Francine decided to jump in, "Actually Emily, I was hoping Rory could do me a huge favor. Strobe and I bought a townhouse in Georgetown when he joined the Court. Nothing terribly large of course, but just somewhere we could stay while we were in town. I did some work remodeling it after he passed away in order to make it more enticing to a buyer, but now, with the housing market the way it is, I'm not sure I will be able to sell it. I offered Rory the opportunity to stay there. It would help to have someone in the place full time, and it is certainly in a safe location." Rory could swear that the words 'safe location' had Richard and Emily remembering the apartment she shared with Paris in college. Rory watched in fascination as her grandmother's face cycle through all the arguments she could seemingly make before it landed on 'tentative reluctance.'

"You know Mom, it is actually a great idea, because who knows how many weekends Rory would have to spend between now and New Years in D.C. hoping to find a new place and furnishing it. As it is now, perhaps she only needs to go for a few days to sort out what she needs. She wouldn't have to miss anytime with us at all." Lorelei Gilmore didn't practice manipulating her mother for nothing.

"Are you sure, Francine? I don't want you to miss the opportunity to get a good price for it…" Emily suggested.

"Emily, from what I can tell, its going to take years for the market to bounce back. If Rory is there for four to eight years, well the market will certainly look better then, we hope. It is in a great neighborhood and it would be a short trip to White House, and Rory seemed to like it when she passed through D.C. a few months ago." Chris slipped in, filling in a few loopholes Emily would be sure to exploit if she got the chance.

"Well now, seams quite reasonable to me, Francine, what a generous offer," Richard piped up from the other end of the table and Rory knew he was cutting his losses on the housing discussion. She had to bite back a smile when he turned to her and questioned, "Now Rory, are you sure your car is up for the move?"

In the end, Emily and Richard proved they were hard-line negotiators and managed to wrangle paying for a maid service to come a couple of times a month to clean up along with the new car Rory was already expecting, especially when they found out she would have a garage to park in. Tristan reminded Richard he had recently researched several cars when he traded in his Porshe 911 for an SUV (granted, still a Porshe) and offered up his car buying expertise. Rory got the distinct impression that he had traded in his fancy sports car to be able to drive Gigi around, an impression April later verified on their drive home. Emily was still able to negotiate paying for a car service that Rory could call instead of cabs when she needed to and by the end of the conversation, Rory could swear that Emily Gilmore was convinced everything they had set up was her idea.

* * *

Over the next several weeks Rory hectically planned for not only the move but also her new job. A secure smart phone showed up at the house one day shortly before Thanksgiving and Rory spent a lot of time with Anne, her immediate boss on the phone. Thankfully, at this point, the other staff members could cover much of her job and so Rory could focus on the move.

The week before Thanksgiving she and Francine headed to D.C. to sort out what was staying at the house, what Rory needed to buy, and what Francine needed to send home. The kitchen was huge and when Rory joked about all of the storage space for Pop-tarts, she could have sworn Francine was going to pass out from laughing too hard. Still, most of the kitchen necessities could stay: the dishes were nice, purchased with the notion of entertaining as well as function and the pots and pans had rarely been used, but were of top quality. The pair spent an entire day in Strobe's study: much of his personal files had been moved out after he passed, but there were still several odds and ends to go through. The study was lined with bookshelves and Rory knew that not only would her entire collection fit, but she would also have plenty of space for new books. Not to mention all the ones Strobe and Francine had collected in this house that she hadn't read yet.

They decided on new mattresses in the three bedrooms and they would need new linens. During the 'crisis negotiations,' as Lorelei was calling them, Emily had wrangled Rory a credit card attached to her own Nordstrom account (this was over and above the credit card her grandfather had given her 'for emergencies,' before she left on the campaign trail, not to mention the one her dad got her at the same time, 'for splurges.') and so Rory decided that she would spend a day with Emily in Nordstrom, even though it would be the Christmas shopping season, where they could pick out new bedding and towels and what ended up being almost a completely new wardrobe. The townhouse had not only walk-in closets (two, his and hers) but also a 'dressing room,' that had even more shelves. While they were in D.C., Francine managed to drag her to the mall for a 'few necessities' for her new wardrobe as well. She still only managed to fill half of one of the closets when all was said and done.

It was decided by someone that was not Rory that the second week of December, her dad and Tristan would drive down a U-haul with her boxes of books and clothes and the few pieces of furniture she was taking with her. Rory flew down to meet them and the three managed to move in most of her stuff. She was glad for the opportunity to spend sometime with her Dad without a six-year old or her mother and Tristan seemed to understand their need for bonding. She got to see the 'brothers' act between the two up close and realized just how much they filled that need for each other. Rory had always had Lane, and later Paris and now she actually had two sisters. Lorelei had found Sookie. So she was glad that Chris had found Tristan to bond with in the same way.

Rory spent the lead up to Christmas picking up the few odds and ends she didn't yet have for herself, many shopping trips for Christmas presents and eating as much of her fill of Luke's and Sookie's cooking as she could. She soaked up the town tree lighting and Kirk's waffling over proposing to Lulu. She helped Lane with the twins at the old house and her heart swelled as she noted the ways Zack and Lane were able to make the place theirs. She managed to make it to Boston to celebrate with Paris and Doyle when Paris' semester came to an end. She and Tristan bonded over his car buying with Richard, in which they successfully convinced him to get the reliable and safe, yet not completely over the top Toyota Highlander Hybrid. By the time New Years arrived, Rory was glad for all the extra time to reconnect with her family, old and new, not to mention bask in all the Stars Hollow insanity that was uniquely their own.

The toughest negotiations were who got to go with her for her final drive the weekend after New Years. Her new car was loaded up with mostly suitcases and a few boxes of Christmas presents. She had spent much of her last few days with April, who spent much of Christmas break in New Mexico, and Gigi doing some sisterly bonding. She noted that April seems to like being a 'big sister,' as much as she did a little one. With April she felt she could pass on some of her wisdom from her time at Chilton and at Yale and some of her 'rich people' survival skills she had picked up along the way. It had been April's suggestion that she and Luke buy Rory a bunch of new picture frames for Christmas after she watched Rory practically assault everyone with her camera and the two spent one of her last mornings framing some of the pictures of her family and friends before wrapping them all up to pack for the move. She and Lorelei, who had managed to win the moving lottery, were heading out on the Saturday after New Years, Lorelei would help her move the last of the stuff in and unpack as well as go grocery shopping and map out the best take out.

She was surprised the morning they were set to leave when she came down to find not only her Mom, Luke and April, but also all three of her grandparents, Chris, Gigi and Tristan as well as Sookie and Lane and Zack and the boys. Luke had offered to make everyone breakfast at the house and Rory couldn't help but marvel at how well everyone was managing to get along. She found herself a bit sad that everyone now mostly over the drama of the past just as she was moving away from everybody.

As she bid everyone goodbye, Tristan promised to look out for everyone, her grandparents promised to call on Sundays, and April promised to take her role of surrogate big sister to Gigi very seriously. Her dad wrangled a promise from her to use his credit card for more than books, Francine quietly reminded her to 'Embrace the Freedom,' and her mother and Gigi hung a glittery sign in the back window: 'White House or Bust.' As they pulled away, a slow tear fell down her cheek even as a big smile stretched across her face. She was ready for her next great adventure.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

_May 2009_

Rory had no idea why she accepted the offer to go out to this particular trendy bar in Dupont Circle. She had hoped in the five months she had been in D.C. she had managed to carve out a space that was not, well, _this._ Still, she appreciated the offer from some of the women that worked in the White House she didn't normally hang out with. These were the women who could talk shoes and handbags and sample sales with the best of them. These were also the women she made sure had no idea there was a Birkin hanging in her closet.

As Beth and Maxie discussed the hotness of the President's speechwriter (she conceded the point: he was hot, he also worked twenty hours a day and wasn't all that interested in dating anyone,) Rory scanned the bar, wondering who exactly put up with this obnoxious music.

Her scan passed a familiar face and she quickly snapped back to the pair of eyes that seemed to be hoping to meet hers.

Rory took a quick intake of breath. She hadn't seen that particular face, except in Facebook photos, since her freshman year of college. But the grin he was giving her made it clear he wasn't holding that against her.

He looked good, scratch that, he looked fantastic, that much she could tell. His dark hair was still cut short and his brown eyes sparkled even in dim light. And he looked every bit as fit as she remembered. His buttoned up style from before seemed long gone: he was wearing Jeans and a white button down, the first couple of buttons undone. She knew she was grinning back even before she decided to head his way. She made a quick excuse with the girls, who immediately saw where her eyes had landed and bid her 'good luck.'

"Of all the gin joints," she started as she stepped in front of him.

He laughed, "I think we might already have a beautiful friendship, Sam."

"Jamie McHenry, how are you?" She smiled widely as she embraced him in a hug. She couldn't hide the fact that she was happy to have run into Paris' only alive ex.

"I'm doing well, Rory Gilmore, glad to see you. How are you?"

"Well, to start with, these days, I'm Rory Hayden."

"As in Press Secretary to the First Lady, Lorelei Hayden? I'm impressed," Jamie whistled, before asking, with just a tad bit of hesitancy, "When did you get married?"

Rory flushed, "Not married. Just started going by my dad's last name."

Jamie's grin grew wider, "Ah, at least it's not Huntzburger. And Hayden?" He questioned, "As in Strobe Hayden?"

Rory chuckled, "As in Strobe Hayden. He was my grandfather. So what are you doing in D.C. these days?" she questioned, hoping to pull the focus from her last name.

"I'm getting ready to graduate from Georgetown Law." Jamie answered, somewhat bashfully. "And getting to ready to start a clerkship at the Supreme Court," he added, perhaps even more so.

"Really?! Congratulations. I always knew you were going to do something great."

"Aww, shucks. It's good to see you too you know. Also, good to see you on C-Span occasionally where no one is discussing your virtue." Jamie joked.

Rory mock glared at him before glancing around, noticing that, if he was there with anyone, he didn't particularly care. "Are you here with anyone?" she shouted over the new, much more upbeat song.

Jamie leaned closer and Rory's breath hitched as she got a whiff of the expensive cologne he wore, "Just a couple of guys from class-this place isn't really my scene. Would you maybe want to get out of here? The Mexican place up the street has fantastic margaritas and a much quieter atmosphere."

Despite the fact they had just run into each other again after five years or so, Rory felt no hesitation in saying 'yes.' This was the guy who kept dating Paris Geller after she blabbed to the entire nation about their sex life, which made him an intriguing drinking companion no matter where they were. She quickly bounced back to the group of girls she came with, all of whom eyed Jamie with the appropriate amount of appreciation, and once again bid her, 'good luck.'

Rory met Jamie at the door and as she caught another whiff of cologne, she could swear her heart skipped a quiet beat. They headed out into the warm May air of D.C., and a couple of doors down to Dos Taquitos.

"I've thought about you a lot, you know," Rory started as they sat down. "I'm not saying things would have worked out with you and Paris, but I was definitely sad to see you go."

Jamie grinned at her while he ordered a pitcher of margaritas and a large order of guacamole. "Thanks. And you! I've enjoyed watching from the sidelines. Your stuff from the campaign was great. And then, I didn't hear the name Rory Gilmore again, but all of a sudden, you were on my television, and ironically talking about eating healthy and exercising."

Rory laughed, "The name change was necessary. I'm not sure I've been forgiven yet for dumping the Huntzburger heir. But I'm enjoying what I do. Even if I had no idea this is where I'd end up. And don't tell Lorelei Gilmore, but I'm even enjoying the basketball and broccoli."

"I wouldn't dare. And from what I can tell you have charmed the pants off those journalists you wrangle, even the ones working for Huntzburger."

"I don't know about that, they were the ones who made sure to dig up the C-SPAN footage...although that moment preserved on Youtube for all eternity was more embarrassing for Paris than me. My step-sister said Headmaster Charleston was particularly grumpy the week everyone was sharing that video all over Facebook."

"Yeah, I can't say I'm not glad no one knows its me Paris is talking about. I had almost forgotten about it, but everyone at Georgetown seemed to find it hilarious-I pretty much hid to avoid talking about it because what could I say really? 'I'm the one the crazy blond is talking about?' I'm pretty sure I've earned the right to laugh at Paris' antics on my own, but laughing along with everyone else seems betraying something, somehow."

Rory noticed that while they were dancing around the subject of his ex-girlfriend/her best friend, Jamie didn't seem particularly upset anymore. She couldn't lie: she was surprised at how glad she was to run into him again. He was kind and charming, polite to a fault; ambitious, if the Supreme Court clerkship said anything and he knew his way around a Zagat guide. It would be nice to spend sometime getting to know him again, even without Paris around, but she knew that if they were going to be friends, they would have to talk about her. They had managed to find a friendship during their time in D.C. the first time around and they both wore the 'I survived Paris Geller' badge that was both impressive and rare. And perhaps it would be a good idea to have that talk now, Rory mused, before they'd had too much to drink and before they'd danced the topic dizzy. Still, Rory figured she would ease into it.

"Yes, the phone call I got from her can go down as one of her greatest rants ever. And you know, that's saying something."

"Right, although if memory serves me correctly, rant is pretty much Paris' typical mode."

"It is, and I spent four years living with her, off and on, I should know."

Jamie couldn't hide the shocked look on his face, "I'm surprised you kept living together, I know your friendship was always a little tenuous, but even after being in love with Paris I never quite imagined living with her."

Rory shrugged, "Honestly, she kind of grows on you. And with her, I at least knew what to expect. We didn't compete as much in college. There was no Tristan or Puffs mucking things up, we had different majors, and the guys we dated in college weren't anyone that would have come between us. After all the time we lived together, I speak fluent Paris. There was a coup to overthrow her tyranny as the Editor at the paper, and when the board voted me in, we had a bit of a falling out. But then, both our boyfriends were stupid at the same time and we ordered too much take out and made up. She was the first person I called when I got this job offer. My mom has always been my best friend, and my childhood friend Lane is like a sister to me, but Paris is one of the few people I trust to know me well enough to be completely honest." Rory laid it out for Jamie. Paris was her best friend, and if they could get past Paris, they would never be able to be friends again.

"I'm glad you are still friends. I know Paris has a hard time making them and an even harder time keeping them. You should be able to put surviving a relationship with Paris Geller under special skills on your resume. And they should probably give you a medal or something." Jamie noted with a smile and Rory hoped this meant the glaring issue of Paris would not be an obstacle to continuing their friendship.

"I hope it's shiny," Rory joked before steering the conversation away from her best friend. "So I want to hear about you. Obviously Princeton went well and congrats on surviving law school."

"Thanks," Jamie smiled broadly, fully dimpled and Rory felt a little flutter in her stomach. "Princeton is still standing, my parents were over the moon. I mean, they graduated from college, and even graduate school, but Princeton was a big deal to them. I did manage to date another girl or two there, here too."

"I remember pictures of a redhead…" Rory trailed off, as she thought back to what she knew of Jamie from Facebook.

Jamie nodded, "Sarah. She was great-we dated for a couple of years, but I came down here for law school and she went to Chicago…we parted ways as friends and she is headed to a law firm in Raleigh."

"And the Supreme Court! I know enough about law school to know that judicial clerkship's are hard to come by, and the ones at the Supreme Court are supposed to be impossible to snag." Rory was remembering just how impressive this guy could be.

"Yeah," Jamie dipped his head a little to hide the blush on his cheeks, "It was hard work. I can't say I have thought about much else in the last couple of years, but it was completely worth it. I'll be working with Beyer, who I have a lot of respect for. Its…big, the kind of thing you dream about but aren't sure you will ever get to touch. I'm enjoying the high you get when a dream comes true. But my guess is that as soon as my two years start, I will be itching for something new to work towards."

"I get that," Rory answered, "although I didn't even dare to dream this sort of opportunity I have now, I know about the high; after Christmas, right up until the inauguration I was surrounded by people who had this floaty feeling and walking though security into work every morning was both daunting and magical. Now though, well, its weird when working at the White House just becomes your normal."

"I'll bet." Jamie reached over to the pitcher and refilled their now empty glasses. "So, how are you enjoying D.C.?"

"It's great, although I haven't gotten to experience much…this is the kind of job where free time is at a premium."

"I'm sorry if I pulled you away from friends…"

"Oh don't worry, the girls I was out with tonight are the White House social butterflies. When I noticed you, they were discussing their tactics for trying to get someone's attention. They were all dolled up tonight, looking for prey. The group I normally hang out with is…lower key? But they got caught up in an issue of national security."

Jamie laughed, "Well, I was certainly glad to run into you. I knew you were in D.C. but the last few months have been crazy; I was actually planning on getting in touch with you now that my schedule is much lighter, at least for the summer."

Rory grinned, "We can have another summer in the city! But really, it's nice to see a familiar face. I've made friends at the White House but the couple of people I know from college that are here are journalists and I always feel like I have to be careful around them. Not that I know any grand, national secrets, but my relationships with them could get messy if we aren't careful."

"Well now you have someone else to hang out with. And I'd be glad to show you around if your interested…" Jamie trailed off and Rory hoped this was an honest invitation.

"I'd love that!" Rory exclaimed and took another sip of her margarita hoping to quell the butterflies she felt. She knew full well Jamie was just a friend, but her dating life had lagged since she had rejected Logan's proposal. A handful of dates of the trail, and a couple more here in D.C., none of whom made her smile as much as Jamie had tonight. Still, Jamie dated _Paris _and she didn't want to let herself get too worked up over a guy who held the status as her best friend's first love, particularly when that friend was as unpredictable as Paris.

As they finished the pitcher of margaritas in front of them, the pair traded stories mostly about the last few years, Jamie's time at Georgetown, Rory's time on the campaign. The stayed away from any potential landmines but it was clear that the both felt comfortable enough to share a few more personal tales. By the time the pitcher was empty and Jamie had appropriately marveled at Rory's guacamole eating skills, it was getting late for a weeknight.

"We are both headed to Georgetown, right? Want to just split a cab?" Jamie queried as he paid their tab.

"Actually," Rory started as she whipped out her phone. She searched her contacts for the car service Emily insisted she have for this very situation. She quickly ordered up a car, "They will be here in about five minutes."

"I'm impressed, do all White House staffers have such access?"

"Only the ones with Emily Gilmore for a grandmother. In the grand scheme of things to argue with her with, this was not one of them. She gets downright giddy every time I use it."

"Well then, be all means," They chatted about the weather as they moved towards the sidewalk. On the ride home, Rory decided to throw a little caution to the wind and see if she could nail down another hang out before the car dropped Jamie off.

"Hey so, this weekend is Memorial Day, and you know how they have the big concert on Sunday?" She started.

"Yeah, I usually watch it from my apartment."

"Well, one of the White House staffer perks are a pair of tickets…would you be interested in going with me?" Rory hoped she didn't sound quite as nervous as she felt.

"Definitely, that sounds like fun." Jamie grinned widely and the nerves receded just a bit.

"Great!" They traded numbers as the driver pulled up in front of Jamie's apartment.

"I look forward to hanging out again, Rory. I had fun tonight."

"Me too."

Jamie leaned in and placed a friendly kiss on her cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow about Sunday. Goodnight Ms. Gilmore."

"Goodnight Mr. McHenry." Rory lifted her hand in a wave as he walked up the stairs to his place.

She sat back in the seat as the car pulled away. She pushed away thoughts of Paris and how hanging out with Jamie could be a bad idea. She couldn't think about that, not while she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

* * *

AN: I think its safe to say I might be the first who has ever put these two together, but I thought they could be interesting. Also, the reason for Tristan being around: well, he speaks fluent Paris, as Rory would say. She is going to need a friend who can help navigate the landmines. I hope you are still interested. Its not Dean or Jess or Marty, but its also not Logan.

For the record, Jamie doesn't have a last name on the show, so I made one up.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad some of you are willing to give my pair a chance. I decided to switch to Jamie's point of view, for at least one chapter.

* * *

Jamie woke up Thursday morning grinning from ear-to-ear. Running into Rory Gilmore was certainly a surprise, but an extremely welcome one. He wasn't lying when he told her he had been planning to get in touch with her. He had nothing but good memories of their earlier friendship and it had been easy to pick up where they left off. The last time they were in D.C. together, they bonded over their excitement of meeting Senators and Judges and White House staffers, as well as their hope for their futures. He was already headed to Princeton; she had Harvard on the brain. He graduated at the top of his class at one of the best public schools in Virginia and she was well on her way to the top of her class at one of the best schools in the country. But back then they both felt out of their depth; not quite fitting into the world in which their ambition led. And perhaps that's why he was first attracted to Paris, because she was right at home in that world, yet still worked harder than anyone he had ever met.

He shook off thoughts of his ex-girlfriend and instead considered just how great Rory looked the night before. She was wearing jeans that fit well and a tank top that hinted at something wonderful beneath it. She had certainly grown up: when Paris dumped him Rory was still a quiet, studious virgin, unsure of the Ivy League and her place in it. When he found out from a couple of gossipy girls in college she was dating Logan Huntzburger, playboy extraordinaire, he almost fell off his bar stool. Over the next few years he heard bits and pieces through the Ivies information network and he caught a couple of the pictures and articles in the society pages. They both joined Facebook, committing to being 'friends,' but by silent agreement, never poking or liking or commenting on each others posts.

Jamie knew she would be at work for most of the day, he couldn't call yet and he needed to head to the library; his plans for the summer consisted mostly of prepping for the bar exam. But by the time lunch rolled around, Jamie knew he was in trouble. He couldn't stop thinking about Rory; how beautiful she was, how much they had in common, what she was eating for lunch…yes: trouble.

He decided that if he was going to be this distracted, he might as well put it to use; he begged off the afternoon from bar prep and headed back to his apartment to do some research.

First, he learned what he could about the concert Sunday, and considered a place for dinner between Georgetown and the Mall (offering Rory the chance to eat was always a good idea.) Next he decided to do a little Facebook stalking. Rory posted sporadically these days, and it was clear she didn't want to give out too many details about her personal life, most likely because of her job. There were lots of pictures of her family from the holidays: he had forgotten her parents were so young; his were graying, but hers looked like they stepped off the pages of a magazine. Her sisters were a brunette who hadn't quite grown into her looks, and a blonde who was clearly going to give her father trouble when she was older. Emily and Richard and Francine seemed to adore Rory, as did her friend Lane's twin boys. There was a blonde guy tagged as Tristan DuGrey in many of the pictures; Jamie vaguely remembered there being a Tristan that Paris grew up with. He found himself hoping that he was a cousin or something.

By the time Jamie realized he should really figure out dinner, he found himself too nervous to eat. He wasn't lying when he told Rory he hadn't dated much in the last couple of years and even though they were friends, _just friends_, he reminded himself, he hadn't felt like this around a girl since he first met Sarah. He summoned all the Gryffindor courage he could before searching for Rory's number and pressing 'send.'

"Lorelei Hayden speaking."

"Rory, Its Jamie. You busy?"

"Hey! Not at this very second, but I have been."

"Yeah, how was your day?"

"Eventful, someone asked where Michelle's shoes were from and we accidentally caused the store's website to crash. I had to do a little damage control. How was your day?"

"Honestly, I've been a little distracted. See, I ran into this cute girl last night," Jamie could swear he could hear her blush over the phone.

"Oh, tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far?"

"Sorry to disappoint a T-bird, but I was a complete gentleman."

"Well, are you going to see her again?"

"Yes, actually, we made plans for a concert this weekend. And I was hoping perhaps we could grab dinner before the show?" Jamie asked hopefully.

"A fed Gilmore is a happy Gilmore."

"That I remember. And the concert starts at 8, but the gates open at 5…"

"Right, we have assigned seating though, and one of the perks of my job is I have a badge and I know how to use it. Would you be interested in picking up something on our way there, make it a picnic, we could take the car service-they can probably get us pretty close."

"That sounds great…How about I come to you place at 5? And how do you feel about Mongolian?"

"I love Mongolian. Makes me want to conquer something."

"Perfect. You know, I'm really looking forward to hanging out with you again. I haven't enjoyed myself like I did last night in a while." Jamie suddenly hoped that he and Rory were on the same page. He also probably needed to find out what page that was.

"Me either. I had a great time. Its a good thing we are busy at work or I might be a little distracted myself." Jamie was sure Rory could sense his mile-wide smile.

"Well, I should let you go. I need to get a little more work done today than I actually have."

"Yeah, I've got a couple of late nights ahead of me to prepare for the weekend. Our plans are good motivation for getting it done."

"I'll consider it service to my country. Goodnight Rory."

"Have a good night Jamie."

As he hung up the phone, Jamie considered just how much flirting he had just done with one Rory Gilmore. Yep, he was most definitely in trouble.

* * *

By the time Jamie knocked on Rory's door on Sunday he was a complete bundle of nerves. He wondered several things: if he was misreading the signals, if he was crazy to even think of pursuing his ex-girlfriends best friend, if that's what he was in fact doing, if Rory would throw up the 'Girl Code' before they had a chance. Did he even have a chance at all? Was it really a good idea? Of course, he asked all these questions and more in the three days since they talked. He asked them when he re-wrote the text eight times to ask for her address. He asked them as he changed his outfit twice. And he asked them over and over again on the six-block walk to her place. But all the nerves faded as Rory opened the door with a smile and hugged him tightly.

"Come on in, I just need to grab my stuff. The car should be here in about 10 minutes." Rory ushered Jamie through the foyer towards the back of the large townhouse and into the impressive kitchen.

"Wow, this place is great," Jamie admired, even as he felt a little out of his depth.

"Oh thanks. It was actually Strobe's place here in D.C. Francine remodeled it, updating the appliances and paint and such to sell after he passed away, but then the market crashed and she decided just to hold onto it for a little while. When I took the job here, she offered to let me stay," Rory was babbling a little nervously and Jamie hoped they were the good kind of nerves. He also filed the use of her grandparent's first names away for a later conversation.

"Well it's looks like a great space. You look fantastic by the way." And she did: her red seersucker skirt and a navy v-neck t-shirt looked effortless in a way that was fully Rory Gilmore. The blush wasn't a bad look either.

"Thanks, you too."

"So, crash any more websites this week?" Jamie playfully asked and for the next hour or so as they made there way to the concert, they pair chatted about Rory's job and his plans for the summer, which not only included the bar exam but also helping out part time in student legal services at Georgetown. ("It's a lot of drinking tickets and parking violations, but it pays decently.") Jamie had forgotten just how easy it was to get along with Rory. She was energetic and witty, with an intelligence that showed in not only her quick references and vast knowledge, but in the questions she asked and the conclusions she could draw. And she could make terrible coffee from the backwoods of Indiana as interesting as a conversation with the First Lady on climate change.

As they settled into their seats and spread out their feast on a chair between them, Jamie realized he was beginning to envision not just dating Rory, but a real relationship with Rory. And he needed to know if either one of the ex's were going to be an obstacle. And that meant they needed to talk about Paris. And Logan. As Rory was coming down from a story about a terrible date with a reporter on the trail, Jamie saw an opening to shift the gears a little.

"Have you seen Logan since you broke up?" He questioned and kicked himself, the shift in topic was not as smooth or as casual as it sounded in his head. Rory slowed her chewing.

"No. There have been a few angry emails. And a couple of very loud phone calls. I think after we last talked last summer we would be OK, at least in polite company, but it's probably better for everyone we live on opposite coasts."

"Can I ask what happened between the two of you? I mean, you tamed the playboy, or so I hear. You graduate, and a few weeks later he's all over San Francisco's gossip sites."

He could see gears turning in her head.

"He proposed. And I turned him down." That is definitely not what Jamie was expecting. He kept quiet, hoping Rory would trust him enough to tell him what happened.

"We were really good together. For all reports of his behavior aside, he was a good guy. Smart, funny, generous. He made me experience new things, and exposed me to the world in a way I couldn't have found on my own. But he was also reckless and spoiled. I was his first relationship, and in so many ways he was mine, at least, my first grown up one. We were...uneven? It took us forever to be on the same page, and it always seemed like one of us was reading ahead or falling behind. We never could quite figure out how to tell each other what we needed from each other." Rory paused and Jamie reached for her hand in support.

"Ironically I thought we were in a really good place, that maybe we had finally figured it out. We had this great discussion right before I graduated about factoring each other in. And then I didn't get the Reston, which I'm pretty sure his father had a hand in, and I didn't have a job or a plan. And Logan proposed in the worst possible way, and my whole life felt...off kilter. He was talking about San Francisco and avocado trees and it wasn't just that we weren't on the same page; we weren't even reading from the same book. We hadn't talked about marriage. A future together had been this sort of vague idea for both of us. He couldn't understand why I didn't want to be the future Mrs. Huntzburger while I was searching for my first writing job and I couldn't understand his need to be engaged on the other side of the country all of a sudden." Rory looked up and met Jamie's eyes with a small smile. "It's a big lesson, you know. Just because you love someone passionately, doesn't mean you are right for each other. My parents are the same way. They had to get married and then divorced to figure that out, I'm glad Logan and I never got that far. I still care about him. I want the best for him. But his best is not with me. And mine is not with him" Jamie felt some of the nerves recede and he squeezed gently before letting go of her hand.

"Can I ask you a question?" Rory asked as she shifted in her seat. Jamie nodded at her to 'go ahead.'

"What happened after you and Paris broke up?"

"You mean, after she dumped me for a senior citizen?"

"You knew?" Rory gaped.

"I found out."

"How?"

"A good journalist never reveals his sources." Jamie quipped with a smile before he looked off past Rory.

"I poured myself into school. I should actually probably thank her at some point: my grades were never better. I started dreaming about the clerkship in earnest. And then summer rolled around and I went home, worked in my neighbor's law office, where I had a lot of time on my hands. I rebounded terribly with a girl I went to high school with. I drank maybe a little more than I should. I wrote, but never sent, a hundred emails to her. But every day it got easier. And my mom sat me down and gave me some perspective on first loves and compatibility and competing interests. It's a big lesson, you know. Just because you love someone passionately, doesn't mean you are right for each other." He met her eyes and smiled as he quoted back to her.

"I went back to school, met Sarah, fell in love again. She was sweet and considerate and a lot of things Paris wasn't. But ultimately we were friends more than anything else. Breaking up with her was very mutual and not nearly as painful."

Jamie thought it showed promise that they could be this candid with one another. While he was nervous about having the conversation, he wasn't worried about being honest with her. He figured they had discussed the heavy stuff enough for the night and he wanted to enjoy the rest of the evening sans exes.

"So that little sister of yours looks like trouble…" He grinned at her and she smiled gratefully at the topic change.

"Oh, yes, she is certainly a handful." Rory's smile grew bigger as she began to talk about her sisters.

* * *

The concert was beautiful, moving and somber. At some point Jamie's arm wrapped around the back of Rory's chair and a few moments later, she snuggled closer. When the concert let up, the pair continued sitting while the masses shuffled away.

"So, its still early and there is a bar a few blocks that way that would be a good place to wait out the traffic for a little while…" Rory trailed off as her eyes questioned Jamie.

"That sounds like a great plan."

When they reached the sidewalk, Jamie reached over to take hold of Rory's hand. She looked up at him and smiled, giving a small squeeze in return. They walked quietly towards the pub Rory suggested and Jamie's heart raced.

When they reached a table inside, Rory suggested they get a pitcher of beer and Jamie was hopeful that meant she was enjoying spending time with him as much as he was with her. They split a plate of nachos and Rory animatedly discussed campaign trail food.

"I never thought I would end up arguing for one fast food restaurant over another based on the brand of orange juice they carried. And I learned if you need a caffeine fix in the middle of Oklahoma, you are better off with the off-brand soda than whatever swill they tell you is coffee. The upside is that _everyone_ on the campaign had to drink that crap too, so the quality of coffee at the White House is well above par."

"Was it weird, going from the press bus to the staff?"

"It's weird in ways I didn't realize it would be. Even though I was press, I spent seventeen months with a lot of those people, and especially early on, when the campaign was still small time and everyone thought Hillary was going to get the nomination, it was a lot more casual. There were 'off-the-record' basketball games and very intense Scrabble tournaments. So I knew them, even had a few inside jokes and nicknames. But Obama picked up steam, and especially after it was clear he was getting the nomination, everyone went on-guard around the press, everything became much more formal. It took a while for them to get comfortable again, realize they weren't being quoted when they talked to me."

The pair chatted through the pitcher of beer, before the both agreed it was getting late. Rory called for a car and paid the tab. ("I invited you, I pay.")

This time, on the ride home, it was Jamie who suggested they meet up again and after all the discussion of different pages, he wanted to make sure they were starting out on the same one.

"I'm hoping you'll agree to go out with me again."

"Why wouldn't I?" She smiled.

"Because we have been pretty vague on intentions thus far. But I like you, and I like spending time with you, and I want to keep spending time with you." He took a breath. "Rory Gilmore, would you go out on a date with me?"

She leaned across the seat to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "I'd love to."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Rory's high from her incredible night lasted until lunchtime on Monday. She didn't have to go into work, and had plans to join the White House cookout later in the afternoon, so she had all morning to analyze and obsess about her evening with Jamie. She liked him. She really liked him. Admitting it was the first step, she figured. He was still the same guy who held Paris' hand until she agreed to go out with him, but he was also older and a bit wiser. And their previous friendship made her more comfortable with him than she'd been with anyone in a while.

It was Paris that was the one downside to running in to Jamie again. On the one hand, Paris had been with Asher and was now with Doyle. She hadn't mentioned Jamie in years and she and Doyle were odd, but happy together. On the other hand, Paris had become one of her closest friends, someone she had come to not only like, but rely on. Paris was also the girl who kicked her out of her apartment for, pretty much accidentally, usurping her throne at the Yale Daily News.

Rory hadn't told anyone about Jamie. Well, that wasn't true. She told Anne and Jess, the other communication staff members, who in turn mentioned it to George and Katie, the First Lady's Social staff. Not to mention the fact this came up during last week's website crisis and Michelle overheard it. But she had downplayed the _Paris_ of it all, because explaining Paris to a stranger was like explaining nuclear proliferation to Gigi. So they just heard she ran into an old friend who was kind and charming and a law school graduate, but had dated a friend five years ago, and mostly they swooned when she brought up his Facebook photo.

But Rory hadn't told Lorelei yet. Her mother would be really excited for her, but she had a tendency to take over the conversation too. She hadn't told Lane. She knew better than to tell either Emily or Francine. She considered telling April, knowing the teenager would keep her secrets, but April had never met Paris and so she didn't exactly know how to explain the glaring issue. (It did make her consider introducing April and Paris however. She sensed they would get along.) Rory was considering spilling her guts to Gigi when she realized she had a much better option: Tristan knew Paris. He also knew her. Most of the time she still felt weird around Tristan; he had all but been adopted into her family, but she had been gone while that was happening and she still felt like she was playing catch-up to everyone else. However, if her burgeoning relationship with Jamie was any indication, Paris brought out the ability for others to bond. She tentatively dialed Tristan's number, hoping he could be helpful.

"Tristan DuGrey."

"Hey, its me"

"Hey Mare, what's up"

"Actually I need some advice and you might be the most qualified person to give it." Rory took a beat. "Is that Lady Gaga?"

"It is: your sister bought me the CD. I just dropped her off…and now you are switched to Bluetooth. So what in the world has you calling me instead of Lorelei? Or Paris?"

"Actually, Paris does. Or at least something that very much involves Paris. Do you have the time?"

"I have the drive from Stars Hollow to Hartford. What's up?"

"Do you know anything about Jamie?"

"Uh, I don't think so, why?"

"He was Paris' boyfriend our senior year and into our freshman year of college. We met him when we did this summer in D.C. thing before our senior year. He went to Princeton and at the time he adored Paris. She only broke up with him when she started dating Asher Fleming."

"The professor, right? The one who died on her? So I'm guessing this has something to do with Jamie, yes? You've seen him?"

"We ran into each other last week. Split a pitcher of margaritas, caught up on the last five years. I had an extra ticket to the Memorial Day concert last night and invited him to come with me. It was totally a date, even if we didn't say so."

"You are dating _Paris'_ ex-boyfriend?!" That was the reaction she was looking for.

"Yes. And if it wasn't clear before last night, it definitely was when he asked me out officially and I kissed him goodnight."

"Mary, Mary, Mary…"

"Shut up and be helpful Tris, you are to everyone else."

"Alright, Alright." She could here the deep breath that dealing with Paris usually took. "You like this guy?"

"More than anyone since Logan. The bond we already had is still there: I'm comfortable with him. And it seems like we are on the same page to begin with, so already more stable than Logan."

"Wow. OK. I don't think you should tell Paris yet. If this thing falls apart in a month, you can probably avoid telling Paris at all. If, by say, July 4th, you're still into him, you have to tell her. A month cushion, and a phone call we can BS our way through. Anymore than that and I don't have a prediction."

"Thanks."

"So you really like this guy, huh?"

"He's…wonderful. He's intelligent, ambitious. He just graduated from Georgetown Law, he's doing a clerkship with the Supreme Court."

"Seriously? That's impressive."

"He's polite and kind. He's witty. He can keep up. He got my 'Grease' reference and played along. And he's brave enough to have dated Paris. In fact the only thing wrong with him so far is that he's the first guy Paris ever loved."

"Wait, is this C-SPAN freak-out guy?! And he kept dating her?" Tristan whistled. "He might just be the one Mare."

"I wouldn't go that far. But he's a great guy and someone I want to spend more time with."

"Then pretend Paris doesn't exist, or at least isn't an issue. If he is as great as you say, than hopefully he's worth it and Paris will get over it."

"Thanks Tris. And do think you could maybe keep this between us for a little while. I'll tell Lorelei soon, but she gets really excited about me dating anyone before I get the chance to figure it out for myself."

Got it, I won't even tell Gigi."

"Your relationship with my six year old sister is kind of disturbing."

"We like each other. I happen to like your 15-year old sister, too. And not in a pervy way."

"Thank God for small miracles…but really Tris, I'm glad you are there. That they have someone."

"If it makes you feel better, I wear my neon pink WWRD bracelet with pride."

"It does actually. Are you going to see my dad?"

"And Francine, we're having a small cookout. I'm bringing the girlfriend…I have a feeling Francine's going to hate her."

"Probably. As far as I can tell the only twenty-somethings she likes are you and me. Tell them both I say hi?"

"Will do. It was good to talk to you. We should do this more often."

"Well, if I keep dating inappropriate men, we might be."

"Can't wait Mare. Talk to you later?"

"Yep. Bye Tris."

* * *

Because of Rory's schedule, Jamie and Rory couldn't get together again until Friday night. He suggested the new Argentinean place a few blocks from both of them, and they agreed to meet there at 7. Rory arrived early hoping to be the first one there, but she forgot she was meeting the walking Zagat guide; he was waiting at a quiet table by the window when she got there.

"Hey you." Rory took in his button down and navy pants, casual but well put together. He wore clothes well, she decided.

"Hi, you look great." Rory decided that late springtime called for a green cotton dress and sandals. She let George from the social desk talk her into a trim…her brown curls hung to her shoulders these days, and she had dug out the lip-gloss her mother called 'man-catcher.'

"Thanks. I'm excited to try this place. I haven't had Argentinean since college."

"New Haven had South American cuisine?"

"Oh, no. But Al's Pancake World in Stars Hollow did."

"Pancake World?"

"He got bored with breakfast, decided to branch out. Sometimes he missed the mark. His Zambian phase had most of the town down for the count, but he's also had moments of genius. Argentina was one of them."

"Stars Hollow sounds like a fascinating place to grow up."

"It really was. Despite what it took to get there, my mom and I couldn't be happier."

"What do you mean?"

"My mom ran away with me from Hartford when she was 17. She became a maid in a local inn, worked her way up. We actually lived in the shed behind the inn until I was 12. I got into Chilton, but my mom had to ask her parents for the tuition money. The condition was Friday night dinners with them. My mom acts like its this huge sacrifice, but I think we got off easy."

"You know, that puts a few pieces together," Jamie smiled in understanding.

"What about you, you grew up in Virginia, right?"

"Sort of, when I was a kid my mom was still in residency, she's a radiologist now. My dad became an investment banker. When I was 10 we moved from the suburbs of Philly to the suburbs of D.C. It was one of the best school districts in the metro area, so even the super wealthy rented apartments to claim residency there. My friends parents were FBI agents and lobbyists and diplomats as well as teachers and secretaries."

"That's great. Stars Hollow was diverse, but only in the types of mental illnesses the inhabitants exhibited. I knew most everyone's parents, and well, my mother was hard to miss."

"I'd like to meet her sometime. Paris thought she hung the moon and you seem to like her quite a bit," He ribbed as they ordered their meal.

"Lorelei's one of a kind. She's my best friend. When a teenage parent raises you, they tend to either end up in jail or become your best friend. I got lucky."

"What about your dad? His parents were Strobe and Francine, yeah?

"He was there off and on. Mostly off. It took me years to sort out my parents' issues and understand why he wasn't around when I was a kid. He's a good guy, and my little sister couldn't be any luckier, but it took him a long time to grow up. He spent most of my childhood hopping from one job to the other. Honestly, it's only been in the last few years he's been around at all."

"That must've been hard."

"It really wasn't: I had my mom, I had Luke, who's now my step-dad, but who was attending caterpillar funerals long before they ever dated. When I got to Chilton, I had Grandma and Grandpa. I loved when my dad showed up, but I never really thought about Strobe or Francine and as much as I wished my dad was around, I also didn't really miss him."

"It must be nice to have sisters now. How are they yours exactly?"

"I actually got Gigi first. She was born when I was in high school. Sherry, her mom, took off for Paris and left Gigi with my dad. He was forced to be there for her, but he's done a good job since. And after he and my mom married and divorced, she wanted to be there for Gigi too. Tristan, my dad's business partner, sort of stepped in and became Uncle and go-between." Rory took a breath. "Luke didn't find about April until she was in middle school. She did a 'Who's My Daddy?' science fair project, and the results showed Luke. For a while he and Anna shared custody, but then April's grandmother got really sick and Anna went to New Mexico to be with her. April went out with her for a while, but she's spent the last year living with my mom and Luke."

"That's the one thing I wish I had. I was sort of a surprise during my mom's time in med school, and by the time she and my dad would have planned to have more, we were moving to D.C. and I was 10. They were starting new jobs, so they focused everything on me. I was spoiled rotten, which I was grateful for when I was chasing the Ivy League, but now, its kind of lonely."

"No aunts, uncles or cousins? I didn't have those and I wish I did now."

"A few cousins. My Dad's family actually runs this small hometown bank in Pennsylvania. Both his brothers each have a branch on either side of the town; they have kids who are now in high school and college, so a bit younger than me. When we were younger it was a bit weird hanging out with them, but they are starting to become their own people, which is cool. My oldest cousin is at Pitt these days and he calls to ask advice about girls. They only ever heard about Paris, and they met Sarah so he thinks I'm some kind of ladies man." Jamie chuckled as he shook his head.

"Well you're doing alright with this lady, I must say," Rory wondered where she was pulling that flirting from.

"Yeah? Good to know," Jamie's dimples made Rory's heart flip-flop. Just then, their meal was delivered and the pair spent a few quiet moments arranging the table to eat.

"So has April starting coming to you for advice about boys yet?"

"Not yet. She's much more interested in my advice about school. She's only just finishing her freshman year and she's already starting to collect college catalogs. Grandpa and I have been extolling the virtues of Yale, my Dad is trying to talk her into Princeton where he went, my grandmothers both went to Smith, and Tristan has been force-feeding her Duke basketball."

"Wait, your Dad knows April? And Tristan?"  
"Yeah, it's a long story, but everyone these days is one big happy family. Or at least one that pretends to get along with one another. Tristan is my dad's business partner. He and Gigi are BFFs and he picks up both my sisters from school a lot. And Emily and Richard love him. Since I haven't been around, Grandma focuses all her matchmaking skills on Tristan and Dad." Rory shrugged. Trying to explain Tristan's role in her family was complicated and not really what she wanted to be talking about on a first date.

"So how goes the studying?"

If Jamie noticed the hard shift in topics, he didn't seem to care. "Well, it went a little better this week. Since I'm hoping my distraction's going to be around for a while, I'm learning to adjust appropriately." Jamie's dimples showed up again and Rory swore a gymnastic team was living in her torso.

* * *

They finished dinner discussing D.C. in the summer. There were movies in the park and summer hours at the museums. Jamie promised to introduce Rory to cuisine from a few countries she hadn't eaten from yet. ("The best part of living in Georgetown, its like a UN food court." He extolled.)

They held hands as they walked back to Rory's place. She dragged him into a self-serve Frozen Yogurt place she freely admitted she had eaten at for dinner on more than one occasion. ("There are probiotics! And that, that's a strawberry. Fruit!" She exclaimed to a chuckling Jamie.)

Their walking slowed as they came up on her place and she was trying to decide if she could get away with inviting him in for a movie, when he stopped a few doors down from her steps.

"What are you-" She began to stammer out as Jamie reached around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her firmly. She caught on quickly and relaxed into the kiss. A great kiss: a perfect first one. After a moment, he pulled away with a smile.

"Wow. That was great. But why…?" She gestured to the distance between where they were standing and her townhouse.

"Thought it might be less awkward this way." He shrugged and grinned as he leaned in for another kiss.

"This time it was Rory to pull away before asking, "Would you maybe want to come in? We could put in a movie; pop some popcorn. I have a decent bottle of wine in the fridge…"

Jamie smiled, "That sounds great." He kissed her once more before they began walking again.

Rory went into the kitchen for snacks and wine, while she directed Jamie to the second floor den to pick out a movie.

"Do you have a preference?" he asked.

"Does it really matter?" She responded with a wink and she cheered inwardly at the stupid grin that crossed his face.

As they settled into the sofa, Jamie scrolled through the DVD menu and Rory snuggled up by his side. She watched him for a moment as he fiddled with the remote. "This is…this is good, right?"

Jamie turned to her, their faces inches apart, "Yeah, this is good," He smiled before leaning in for another kiss.


End file.
